Solider killed, 3 injured in Pakistani firing along LoC

An Army soldier was killed while three others were injured when Pakistan troops resorted to ceasefire violation along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday.

Sources said that Pakistani troops resorted to ceasefire violation and fired with sniper upon the Indian Army posts in Keri Battal of Sunderbani sector along the LoC at around 5:30 am.

“Four Indian soldiers suffered serious injuries in the attack, and they were immediately evacuated to military hospital, where one of the succumbed to his injuries,” they said.

Indian Army retaliated effectively, and firing stopped at 7.15 am, an army official said.

Border skirmishes witnessed a spurt after India's pre-emptive air strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammad terror camp in Pakistan's Balakot on February 26 following the February 14 Pulwama terror attack.

Four civilians, including three members of a family, were killed and several others injured as Pakistan targeted dozens of villages in over 100 incidents of ceasefire violations along the LoC in the state, especially in the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri, since then.

In November last year, three Indian soldiers were killed due to sniper attack along the LoC south of Pir Panjal range. The ceasefire violations and sniper attacks by Pakistani troops are on rise with dozens of civilians and security personnel, getting killed and hundreds, others injured in last year.

Sources said Pakistani troops have positioned snipers at odd locations close to the forward posts to target Indian troopers proceeding on long patrols and forward locations. "Pak Army relies on their team of snipers to target Indian positions and in the last two years, several Indian troopers have lost their lives in sniper shots," they revealed.

There is 198 km IB and over 510 km of LoC with Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir.